Services for Young Children

Early Years Education (EYE) funding

What is the Early Years Education (EYE) scheme?

Every three and four year old child has an entitlement to free, part-time early years education, if their parents wish:

for 15 hours a week;

and for these to be available on a flexible basis to parents;

for 38 weeks in a full year - within the school year.

Hampshire County Council pays early years education (EYE) funding for these hours. The rates are determined by a single funding formula, based primarily on flexibility and quality. Claims are made termly.

Only settings (childminding networks, day nurseries, playgroups/pre-schools, private nursery schools and independent schools) registered with Hampshire County Council to provide early years education can claim the funding.

To join the scheme you must attend a registration seminar. These are available termly (usually November, March and June). Your setting cannot be registered until you have attended one of these.

Why join the scheme?

You will be part of the Services for Young Children partnership in Hampshire – which brings together all those involved in early years and childcare.

You can work with others to ensure that all children in the local area can have early years education and that it is of the highest quality.

You will have access to a wider range of free or subsidised training courses, including some specifically for improving the quality of early years education.

You will have access to further support and training opportunities to help you with children with special educational needs.

You will have access to committed and regular support from Services for Young Children and other commissioned services and partners.

More details will be given on these and other benefits at the registration seminar.

How to join

Check that your setting:

is (or will be soon) registered with either the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) as a provider of day care; or the Department for Education as an independent school for three and four year olds;

will be open for at least 15 hours a week for at least 38 weeks a year.

You will then be in a position to decide whether you would like your setting to join the scheme. If you do, we will ask you to sign an Agreement form which will commit your setting to fulfilling the requirements and sets out the support we will provide.